Design Photography: When the Fog Rolls In
Foggy days allow the imagination to step into photos of homes and landscapes
Nine out of 10 professional photos documenting architecture in the daytime seem to be shot when the sun is shining. Sure, even on sunny days, the elements might give a photographer reason not to shoot, but the ideal is to show a building or landscape in the best light. Sunlight allows materials and forms to stand out and be read more clearly against its backdrop, creating a fairly consistent aesthetic within architectural photography. Therefore it's refreshing to see documentation that embraces other environmental conditions, particularly fog.
Comparing sunny and foggy days, the former is bright, colorful, and well-defined, while the latter is muted, gray (predominantly), and indefinite. Or to put it another way, sunny photos present crystal-clear images, but foggy ones let the imagination fill in the blanks. Fog exists as a layer between our eyes and certain pieces of information: buildings, landscapes, distant vistas.
This ideabook celebrates foggy photos. Here's hoping some of you will embrace the effect this and other environmental conditions have on how a building or landscape is presented. In most places fog is not nearly as prevalent as sunshine, but next time it rolls in, grab your camera and snap some photos of your house for Houzz.
Comparing sunny and foggy days, the former is bright, colorful, and well-defined, while the latter is muted, gray (predominantly), and indefinite. Or to put it another way, sunny photos present crystal-clear images, but foggy ones let the imagination fill in the blanks. Fog exists as a layer between our eyes and certain pieces of information: buildings, landscapes, distant vistas.
This ideabook celebrates foggy photos. Here's hoping some of you will embrace the effect this and other environmental conditions have on how a building or landscape is presented. In most places fog is not nearly as prevalent as sunshine, but next time it rolls in, grab your camera and snap some photos of your house for Houzz.
Landscapes are especially moody when seen in the fog. These mounds take on an extraterrestrial presence thanks to the mist that coats the ground and softens the landscape around them.
Here the fog blurs the gatehouse at the end of this allée, increasing the anticipation on the approach to the indistinct architecture.
In this photo we don't see the house but the view from the house, its link to the water and beyond. But what is beyond? The fog makes that answer unclear, and therefore the mood is calm yet slightly ominous.
Here the fog obscures the view down the steep hillside that lies beyond these foreground planters. The bamboo really stands out against the fog.
Amongst the fog and bare trees this blue house in The Netherlands stands out, if softly.
Seen from up close, the fog flattens the trees in the background and again makes the house stand out against its surroundings.
This dusky fog is balanced by the warm glow of the lights inside the house.
The last few pics are not fog per se, but they show similar effects in different ways. The low clouds here are broken to reveal blue sky above and hills beyond the modern house. The feeling is like being so high up that the view must contend with clouds and nothing else.
Mist shoots up from gaps in the pavers of this deck, engulfing the pool and furniture in a low fog effect.
Misters in this garden soften the stone walls that define part of the outdoor space. The fine fog seems appropriate with these walls, as well as the vegetation, sculpture, and other elements.
Upload your fog photo!
More: How to Take Better Home Design Photos
From the Experts: Photographers' Tips on Taking Interior Shots
Upload your fog photo!
More: How to Take Better Home Design Photos
From the Experts: Photographers' Tips on Taking Interior Shots
Sponsored
